Foreign nationals can choose from a variety of visas that will allow them work in the United States. These visas are nonimmigrant visas as they only permit an individual to work in the U.S. for a fixed period of time and not to remain permanently in the country. Getting a visa to work in the United States is much more difficult than getting a visa to visit. Most work visas require a job offer by a U.S. employer, and for the employer to petition United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) on the behalf of the foreign national they are going to employ.

H nonimmigrant visa

A U.S. employer seeking to employ a foreign national can petition the USCIS for an H visa. Depending on the type of work, different H visas are available: there is the H-1B visa for professionals, the H-1C visa for nurses in shortage areas, the H-2A visa for temporary or seasonal agricultural workers in short supply, the H-2B visa for temporary nonagricultural workers in short supply and the H-3 visa for trainees.

O & P nonimmigrant visas

A U.S. employer can also petition the USCIS for O and P work visas. An O visa permits foreign workers who have reached the very top of their occupation or profession to work in the U.S. To be approved for an O visa the foreign national should have an extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics or have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in motion picture and television productions. The P visa is available to athletes, entertainers, individuals or groups, who are either renown, or will engage in a culturally unique performance or a cultural exchange program.

R visa for religious workers

Ministers of religion and full-time religious workers can apply directly to a U.S. consulate for a R-1 work visa if they are members of a religious denomination having a bona-fide religious organization or affiliation in the U.S., have been a member of the denomination for two years and will carry on the vocation of a minister or work full-time in a religious occupation for the organization.

E & L nonimmigrant visas

An investor or trader with the U.S. who is from a country that has a treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States can obtain an E visa to work in the U.S. The trader or investor can apply directly to a U.S. consulate for the E visa.
Multinational businesses can petition the USCIS for a L-1 visa to transfer managers, executives, and workers with specialized knowledge to work in the U.S.

TN visa for Canadians and Mexicans

Both Mexicans and Canadians pursuant to the North American Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are eligible for work visas in professional and managerial occupations. A Canadian citizen can apply for the visa at a class A port of entry, a U.S. airport handling international traffic or a U.S. pre-flight inspection station. To apply for the visa a Mexican citizen must follow a more rigorous procedure similar to that of the H-1B visa.